The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-09-30
THE STORY OF A GAMBLER.

Overcome at Last By Hard Luck, He Seeks a
Tragic End.
Long Branch Cor. Philadelphia Times.
The change in the temperature has
not eliminated the crowds who still
Ii ger here. Every evening the New
York boat brings back again the same
faces, the strayed jewellers Of Wall
street, who find in the emusic, theraces,
the hops, the roulette wheel and in
green baize tables OF Phil and John
Daily a reminding Of the fires which
have run low during the dog days
along the Barbary coast of Wall
street. Thousands take in the fever
ish excitements of Long Branch a quasi
rest-a training school for the next
day, when they show up in good form
at 10 Am. in New York, ready for
the great game i'll Wall street, where
people sell short or besiege Russell
Sage's Offices for puts and calls.
On the south side of the West end
piazza the other night sat John Pom
dir, still a New York broker, with a
comfortable balance in bank. He has
tried all the games from poker and
seven up down to keno and, last of
all, Cribbage, and is not much the
worse Tor wear for mis- participation
in some OF the greatest games of
chance ever PLAYED on the American
continent. The clover blossom in
Pondir's buttonhole looked dropping
and faint with the heat of the day,
and the still alive and alert New York
broker tossed aside a cigar he had
smoked to the bitter end and
seemed in a reminiscent mood.
asked: DO you remember Ed.
Hlllson, a wool broker, OF Chestnut
street? We both net thirty years ago
at Joe Halls game i'll Walnut street,
Philadelphia"
"lndeed l do" replied Pondir, land
thereby hangs a tale. No man ever
lived who was fonder OF all games of
chancs than poor Hillson, the wool
broker. He lived in Philadelphia for
forty years and was, / think, from
Alsace or Lorraine, for he was GER
tainly half Frenchman.
"Hillsen never had the Napoleenie
courage or nerve needed to make a
great gambler, but with him it was
the fatal passion for cards.
"Men like Thomas A. Scott, all
nerve, with a will like Bessemer steel.
make gamblers when they do play)
OF whom the professional gamester is
always in terror. And / heard it told
by a prominent Philadelphia that
about the time the Girard House was
built there was a big game of faro 90
ing on there and Mr.. Scott sauntered
in saying he didn't mind winning or
$50, 900. Helost that amount
IN three hours and walked out as I'M
concerned az if he had lost a pass to
San Francisco.
with such men gambling is an ac-
cident. It never becomes the onaab-
sorbIng passion OF life. Woe to the
who becomes this passions slave.
With Hillson it was the one grand
passion, and faro was his fayorlte
play, a game always full of fascination
to men OF high intellectual endow-
ments. HiIlson seemed to beqrudge
the hours spent in the ordinary avo.
cations of business, albeit he was
recognized al the best wool buyer on
the street.
He had aplomb; was possessed of q
keen intellect and a wonderful fund OF
information, but he could never re-
sist the sight OF q pack OF cards.
"Hlllson had no domestic ties of
anybody knew. He paid his
bills promptly, and his accounts were
closed correctly with the
houses Tor whom he worked on com
mission.
He was satisfied With small win.
nings, but it Is the continue! dropping
which ear away the granite shaft.
In 1870 he found himself $4,000
behind. Hillson disappeared from
Philadelphia for one year. NOBODY
made any search for him, as there
seemed to be a general impression
thas the little Alsatian-F renchman
would come out cat. bird" Gas thev
SAY out West) And he did. In az
most q year to d day from
his disappearance Hiilson an.
peareds full Of chic. brioht.